{"id":46245,"date":"2025-10-30T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T05:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/?p=46245"},"modified":"2025-10-29T15:57:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T14:57:06","slug":"robotic-arm-assists-in-hearing-restoration-surgeries-at-semmelweis-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/2025\/10\/robotic-arm-assists-in-hearing-restoration-surgeries-at-semmelweis-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Robotic arm assists in hearing restoration surgeries at Semmelweis University"},"content":{"rendered":"
With the help of a new robotic surgery device, successful cochlear implantations have been performed on children and adults at Semmelweis University\u2019s Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. The device will remain at the department for an extended period of time, allowing specialists to perform numerous similar hearing correction procedures; they will also provide data for a research project as a collaborating center. This innovation provides an even safer and more precise surgical technique for children and adult patients undergoing hearing rehabilitation.<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>Cochlear implant surgery is one of the most complex and precise ear surgeries for hearing impairment. \u201cDuring the operation, a thin electrode with a diameter of only 0.3-0.4 millimeters is inserted into the inner ear, the cochlea,\u201d explained Professor Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s, Director of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. The aim of the procedure is for the device to directly stimulate the neural pathways instead of the damaged hair cells, thus ensuring the experience of hearing. In special cases, the implant can also serve as a hearing aid in the still-functioning part of the cochlea, and as a cochlear implant where the hair cells have died. The director added that the biggest challenge during the operation is the gentle and precise placement of the electrode, as the delicate structures of the inner ear are extremely sensitive and even the slightest injury can affect the quality of hearing.<\/p>\n

This is precisely the area where robotic surgery represents a breakthrough. Having previously tested another robotic surgery device in four operations<\/a>, the department has now received a new type of robot for temporary use that is smaller and even more precise than the previous one.<\/p>\n

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The robotic arm is capable of inserting the electrode with a precision unattainable by the human hand, at a speed as low as 0.1 millimeters per second, explained Associate Professor Dr. G\u00e1bor Polony, the surgeon performing the procedures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>He added that this speed is invisible to the naked eye. The computer-controlled system provides feedback on depth and position at every moment of insertion, while the operator controls the process using a foot pedal. \u201cThus, the procedure is performed under the control of the surgeon, but with the support of technology,\u201d said Dr. G\u00e1bor Polony. Although the use of the robot slightly extends the duration of the surgery – by an average of about 15 minutes per ear – the long-term benefits are clear: Slow and precise insertion reduces damage to the receptor cells and nerve structures of the inner ear, thereby increasing the chance of preserving the remaining natural hearing.<\/p>\n

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The cochlear implant is made up of two parts: a receiver unit implanted into the skull behind the auricle, with a 12, 16, or 22-channel electrode at the end, which is inserted into the cochlea in the inner ear, replacing the dead (or non-formed) hair cells of the cochlea to deliver electrical signals to the endings of the auditory nerve; and the outer unit containing the directional microphone, which is connected to the implanted unit through the intact skin by a magnet and converts the detected sounds into electrical signals, transmitting them to the inner unit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The first operation with the new robotic surgery device was performed at the department on a four-year-old child who received implants in both ears. The procedure was successful, and the complex rehabilitation of the little patient has since begun. This surgery was later followed by further successful procedures. According to experts, early surgery is the key to successful speech and hearing development: Ideally, the procedure should be performed at the age of one to one and a half years because this is when the plasticity of the brain\u2019s hearing and speech centers is at its greatest. Delay reduces the chances of regaining speech and natural hearing, so it is extremely important that newborn hearing screening and the subsequent examination are carried out in a timely and accurate manner.<\/p>\n

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\u201cRobotic technology opens up new horizons not only for children, but also for adults and the elderly,\u201d Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s added. In many cases, hearing loss in old age reaches a level where hearing aids no longer provide adequate speech comprehension. In such situations, a cochlear implant can be a solution, which can be inserted even more gently with the support of robotic surgery. For elderly patients, this means not only regaining their hearing, but also their social relationships, communication, and quality of life, as hearing loss increases isolation, depression, and cognitive decline.<\/p>\n\r\n [slb_exclude]\r\n

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Whether the implant is inserted using a robot or conventional methods is decided based on individualized discussions between specialists and patients, taking into account a variety of factors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The technology now introduced was developed by one of the leading implant manufacturers, and Semmelweis University\u2019s Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery was among the first in Europe to be able to test it. \u201cThe manufacturer is planning multicenter research with several international centers, for which the department will also be able to provide data,\u201d Dr. L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tam\u00e1s pointed out. This is a great opportunity not only from a scientific but also from a clinical point of view, as long-term data will help assess the extent to which the robotic surgery technique improves hearing preservation and rehabilitation outcomes.<\/p>\n

Eszter Keresztes
\nTranslation: Dr. Bal\u00e1zs Csizmadia
\nPhotos by B\u00e1lint Barta \u2013 Semmelweis University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The device can insert the electrode of the cochlear implant with a precision unattainable by the human hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102369,"featured_media":46248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,286],"tags":[215],"class_list":["post-46245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-x-nyitolap","tag-healing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102369"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46245"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46268,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46245\/revisions\/46268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/semmelweis.hu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}